I expected Roman to pour my sweet liquid into a cup, like Jess and Ryan always did. As his long fingers unscrewed my cap, I started to daydream, a way of escaping the reality of my ho-hum everyday life.
But then he pressed his lips against my neck and, at that moment, I awakened.
I knew he had marked me as his own; Jess and Ryan avoided me after that.
He was reckless, not even checking to see if I was pure. Being from concentrate, I'd always felt like a cheap slut compared to the more expensive, not-from-concentrate brands. I'd always yearned to be the real thing. But Roman made me feel special. The way he held me, he made me feel organic.
His hand was warm. Large enough to fit around my circumference. He made me feel secure.
He wasn't like Jess and Ryan, reaching for me politely only during the morning. No, Roman wanted me day and night. He reached for me so often, I began to wonder what his blood sugar level was like. It gave me a thrill to know it was my sweet sugar coursing through his veins. I soon became his favourite – I remember the milk growing sour with jealousy.
I wanted to open up to him. I wanted to share my nutritional information, my toll-free number branded on my label in case he had any questions or comments. He could tell me anything and I would listen.
And yet…
As much as I loved his warm embrace, I knew that the faster he drained me, the sooner I'd be out in the recycling bin. My days were already limited by the cruel manufacturer's expiry date, printed rudely on my bottom. I did not expect immortality. But I also did not expect to fall in love. And now that I had found love, I couldn't bear to think of losing it.
The day came when Roman drained the last of me. I tried not to sweat. I knew my fate. I had seen Jess and Ryan's treatment of my fore-bottles that came before me. An empty juice bottle is a useless juice bottle. And now, it was my turn to be empty and useless.
But Roman… was different. He placed me back in the fridge. Even when I'd lost my value, he kept me around. And in that moment, I knew I meant as much to him as he meant to me.
The next day, Jess threw me into the recycling bin. She didn't rinse me out, didn't screw my cap back on. I remember that day, how hot it was. It only took a few minutes before the wasps crept inside me and attacked the dregs of my pulp.
I never got to say goodbye. But Jess cannot keep us apart. In my plastic, I know one thing to be true: Roman was my destiny. He made my shelf life worth living.